Hospital-type bed

ABSTRACT

A hospital-type bed including a frame with head and foot members each having tubular upright corner posts connected by upper and lower horizontal members of channel shape which are braced intermediate their ends by a wider upright member of channel shape. A panellike cover plate is detachably secured to each member. Each corner post is open at its lower end and telescopingly receives an upright, floor-supported leg. A single elongated threaded shaft is journaled in the upper horizontal member of each end frame and is rotatable by a crank applicable to either end of the shaft. Nuts on the shaft are slidable lengthwise of the upper horizontal member by rotation of the shaft. An individual cable is secured at one end to each nut and extends over sheaves in the frame and is secured at its other end to the upper end of a floor-supported leg. When the crank is actuated to rotate the shaft, the cables are taken up or paid out to raise or lower the end frame on the telescoping legs. A friction pawl on each leg automatically engages the associated corner post to hold the leg against dropping from the post when the leg and cable do not support the end frame.

United States Patent [72] Inventor William .1. Helton Affton, Mo. [21]Appl. No. 838,787 [22] Filed July 3, 1969 [45] Patented Dec. 21,1971[73] Assignee Foster Bros. Manufacturing Company St Louis, Mo.

[54] HOSPITAL-TYPE BED 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 5/64, 5/65, 5/83 [51] 1nt.C1 A61g7/00, A61q 7/10 [50] FieldofSearch 5/11,63, 83, 331

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,843,223 7/1958 Vi11ars....5/63 UX 2,197,304 4/1940 Haynes 5/62 2,339,075 1/1944 Hollnagel 5/632,872,688 2/1959 Reichert et al. 5/63 3,281,873 11/1966 Stanley et al.5/63 X Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Attorney-Bede and BurgessABSTRACT: A hospital-type bed including a frame with head and footmembers each having tubular upright corner posts connected by upper andlower horizontal members of channel shape which are braced intermediatetheir ends by a wider upright member of channel shape. A panellike coverplate is detachably secured to each member. Each corner post is open atits lower end and telescopingly receives an upright, floorsupported leg.A single elongated threaded shaft is journaled in the upper horizontalmember of each end frame and is rotatable by a crank applicable toeither end of the shaft. Nuts on the shaft are slidable lengthwise ofthe upper horizontal member by rotation of the shaft. An individualcable is secured at one end to each nut and extends over sheaves in theframe and is secured at its other end to the upper end of afloor-supported leg. When the crank is actuated to rotate the shaft, thecables are taken up or paid out to raise or lower the end frame on thetelescoping legs. A friction pawl on each leg automatically engages theassociated corner post to hold the leg against dropping from the postwhen the leg and cable do not support the end frame.

PATENTEUDEC21 IHYI SHEET 1 [IF 2 PATENTED DECZI mu SHEET 2 [1F 2HOSPITAL-TYPE BED BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Beds for use in hospitalsor elsewhere for invalids require frequent vertical adjustment of theheight of the spring and mattress at either or both ends of the bed.Such adjustment is usually effected by a crank-operated mechanism whichselectively raises or lowers one or both ends of the bed on telescopinglegs which extend downwardly from the bottom of each tubular corner postof the bed frame. The operation of the ends independently of each otherpermits the spring and mattress surface to be placed at an angle, withthe head end lower than the foot end or vice versa. These positions areoften necessary for treatment of certain circulatory problems or otherailments and are known as the Trendelenberg and reverse Trendelenbergpositions, respectively. Prior designs effected the vertical adjustmentof the telescoping legs through a series of shafts and bevel gearsconnected to individual screws in each leg. Such mechanism is not onlycostly to manufacture but, because of friction in the shaft and geartrain, requires excessive effort to operate. Because of the inherentnature of the gear train design, the operating cranks are located at alow position which requires the attendant to assume a bent-over awkwardand uncomfortable position. Because of the complexity of the gear trainmechanism, frequent breakdowns occur causing troublesome serviceproblems. Among the objects of the present invention are to provide ahospital bed with simplified, economical elevating mechanism enclosedwithin the end frames which is easy to operate, is not subject tobreakdowns and service problems, and in which head, foot and springunits can be disassembled easily for transporting the bed from onelocation to another, and to avoid accidental dropping the telescopinglegs from the corner posts, if any part of the bed frame is liftedmanually or supported directly otherwise than by the floor-engaginglegs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an isometric view of ahospital-type bed embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the bed frame on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 witha finish panel removed to better illustrate the raising and loweringmechanism.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section through the right-hand corner post and thetelescoping leg shown in FIG. 2 and showing the elements suspending thecorner post from the leg.

FIGS. and 6 are detail horizontal sections on lines 5-5 and 66 of FIG.4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The bed frame includes a headstructure 1, a foot structure 2 and side rails 3 which carry the springand mattress. The head and foot have tubular corner posts 4 with slottedbrackets 5 receiving hooks on the ends of the side rails as iscustomary.

Each head and foot structure includes an upper horizontal member 6 ofchannel cross section extending between corner posts 4 with its webdisposed horizontally and its flanges extending upwardly. A cap 7 isremovably secured to the open side of channel member 6. A lowerhorizontal member 8 of channel cross section extends between the comerposts with its web disposed vertically and its flanges extendingoutwardly of the bed. An upright member 9 of channel cross sectionextends between members 6 and 8 intermediate their end and with itsflanges extending outwardly of the bed. An upright panel 10 overlies theopen sides of channel members 8 and 9 and is detachably secured tomembers 6 and 8 by screws 11.

The bed frame is supported on four legs 13 each telescopingly receivedin one of corner posts 4 and supporting the bed frame by heightadjustment mechanism concealed in a housing formed by the comer postsand the channel members 6, 8, 9, and panel 10. This mechanism,duplicated at heat and foot, includes a horizontal rod 18 extending thelength of each upper cross member 6 and journaled therein. A crank 19may be applied to either end of the rod to rotate it manually. The rodhas oppositely threaded portions extending respectively from its middletoward each corner post. A nut 20 on each threaded portion of the rodslidably engages member 6 and rotation of the rod by crank 19 feeds thenuts simultaneously away from each other or toward each other accordingto the direction of crank rotation.

A pair of sheaves 21 are joumaled. in the upper end of upright member 9.Another pair of sheaves 22 are journaled on the intermediate portion oflower cross member 8. A sheave 23 is joumaled on each outer end portionof member 8.

An individual cable 35 is anchored at one end to each nut 20 and extendshorizontally therefrom over a sheave 21, then downwardly and over asheave 22, then horizontally over a sheave 23 and through an opening N(FIG. 4) in the side of comer post 4 and then upwardly along adepression D in the adjacent side of leg 13. The upper end of the cableis secured to the lower end of a friction pawl 27. A pin 28 pivots theupper end of the pawl to the upper portion of the leg. A torsion spring29 tends to thrust the swinging end of the pawl into the inclinedposition shown in FIG. 4 and holds the leg against dropping from thepost. Normally the weight on cable 35 swings the pawl to the verticalposition shown in broken lines in FIG. 4.

If a portion of the bed frame near a leg is lifted from the floor andthe corresponding cable is relieved of its load, the torsion springthrusts the lower end of the pawl against the inner face of the pawlinto frictional engagement with the inner face of the post and holds theleg against dropping if the bed is lifted. When the weight of the bedframe is again transferred to cable 35 the latter will pull pawl 27 tothe vertical position and it does not resist relative movement of theleg and the comer post as induced by operation of crank 19 and thecables. Also spring 29 and pawl 28 tend to prevent lateral play betweenthe upper end of the telescoping leg and the bed corner post. The lowerportion of each corner post has indentations 32 in its walls opposingthe outer faces of the legs and preventing noticeable lateral wobblebetween them. Strips or buttons of plastic material may supplement or besubstituted for indentations 32 to effect the same result.

All of the bed frame raising and lowering mechanism at the head or footof the bed is housed within the adjacent end structure, thus presentinga neat appearance and being free of entanglement with the bedclothes orwith the fingers or garments of people who are in or about the bed andproviding for ready assembly and disassembly of a bed without difficultybecause of cables or shafts between the head and foot.

I claim:

1. A hospital bed comprising head and foot frames, side rails connectingthe head and foot frames, and a spring frame supported by the siderails, floor-supported] leg members, corner posts on each head and footframe, the corner posts receiving the leg members and being verticallyslidable thereon, the head and foot frames having an upper portion, ahorizontal rod housed in and journaled in said upper portion of eachframe, the rod having threaded portions in opposite directions from themidpoint toward each end thereof, a nut on each threaded portion, eachnut being nonrotatable and slidably engaging the upper portion of theframes, a pair of vertically disposed sheaves journaled in the head andfoot frames below the inner end of each threaded portion, and a sidesheave journaled on each lower side portion of each head and foot frameadjacent each corner post thereof, individual cables secured at one endto each nut with the other end secured to an upper portion of eachfloor-supported leg member and passing over the nearer pair ofvertically disposed sheaves and side sheave, and independent meansexteriorly of the: head and foot frames to independently rotate each rodto cause the nuts on each rod to move along each rod to pull or releaseeach cable to raise and lower the head and foot frames independently andcause the spring frame to be angularly disposed with respect to the headand foot frames or to raise and lower the spring frame with respect tothe floor.

2. A hospital-type bed structure as described in claim 1 in which thehead and foot frames are substantially hollow and the legs, threadedrod, sheaves and cables are enclosed within the frames.

3. A hospital-type bed structure as described in claim I in which thecomer posts are connected by vertically spaced horizontally extendingupper and lower cross members of channel section, there being avertically extending member of channel section connecting theintermediate portions of said horizontal members, and a readilydetachable panel covering the open sides of said lower and verticalchannel section members and enclosing the cables and sheaves mountedtherein.

4. A bed as described in claim 1 in which each cable anchor comprises apawl pivoted at one end on the upper portion of a leg, a springthrusting the swinging end of each pawl transversely of the leg intoengagement with an inner face of the associated comer post, each pawlbeing clear of said post when the comer post is supported by said cablebut thrust against the inner face of the corner post by the spring ifthe bed frame end structure is lifted independently of the cable torelieve the cable and pawl of their normal load.

1. A hospital bed comprising head and foot frames, side rails connectingthe head and foot frames, and a spring frame supported by the siderails, floor-supported leg members, corner posts on each head and footframe, the corner posts receiving the leg members and being verticallyslidable thereon, the head and foot frames having an upper portion, ahorizontal rod housed in and journaled in said upper portion of eachframe, the rod having threaded portions in opposite directions from themidpoint toward each end thereof, a nut on each threaded portion, eachnut being nonrotatable and slidably engaging the upper portion of theframes, a pair of vertically disposed sheaves journaled in the head andfoot frames below the inner end of each threaded portion, and a sidesheave journaled on each lower side portion of each head and foot frameadjacent each corner post thereof, individual cables secured at one endto each nut with the other end secured to an upper portion of eachfloor-supported leg member and passing over the nearer pair ofvertically disposed sheaves and side sheave, and independent meansexteriorly of the head and foot frames to independently rotate each rodto cause the nuts on each rod to move along each rod to pull or releaseeach cable to raise and lower the head and foot frames independently andcause the spring frame to be angularly disposed with respect to the headand foot frames or to raise and lower the spring frame with respect tothe floor.
 2. A hospital-type bed structure as described in claim 1 inwhich the head and foot frames are substantially hollow and the legs,threaded rod, sheaves and cables are enclosed within the frames.
 3. Ahospital-type bed structure as described in claim 1 in which the cornerposts are connected by vertically spaced horizontally extending upperand lower cross members of channel section, there being a verticallyextending member of channel section connecting the intermediate portionsof said horizontal members, and a readily detachable panel covering theopen sides of said lower and vertical channel section members andenclosing the cables and sheaves mounted therein.
 4. A bed as describedin claim 1 in which each cable anchor comprises a pawl pivoted at oneend on the upper portion of a leg, a spring thrusting the swinging endof each pawl transversely of the leg into engagement with an inner faceof the associated corner post, each pawl being clear of said post whenthe corner post is supported by said cable but thrust against the innerface of the corner post by the spring if the bed frame end structure islifted independently of the cable to relieve the cable and pawl of theirnormal load.